History springs to life as Union Station Advocates stage a fundraiser that brings in $100,000 for a re-creation of the Mizpah/Welcome arch at Union Station. Photo by Steve Peterson, Special to The Denver Post

Some folks say it’s not a good idea to live in the past. We say it can be fun, especially if it involves dressing up like a World War I doughboy, a flapper or an early-day senator to help raise money to help preserve a landmark like Denver’s Union Station.

A Night in Old Union Station, hosted by Union Station Advocates, brought 800 history buffs to the train station in Lower Downtown for a party that raised $100,000 for the restoration and reinstallation of the Mizpah Arch, a 70-ton, bronze-coated steel gateway that was dedicated on July 4, 1906, and stood outside Union Station for 25 years before being deemed a traffic hazard and taken down on Dec. 7, 1931.

Dana Crawford, whose foresight and perseverance turned crumbling and neglected areas of the city into the vibrant Larimer Square and Lower Downtown we enjoy today, chairs Union Station Advocates and with co-chair Anne Hayes, had a major hand in making the benefit a success.

The 800-plus guests included Mayor John Hickenlooper; Colorado Historical Society president Ed Nichols; Tami Door and Jerry Glick from the Downtown Denver Partnership; and Amy Morrison, who not only helped get the word out about the benefit but purchased the first two tables.

Period attire was encouraged, and guests seemed to embrace the idea of researching and assembling outfits that would take them back in time.

Ayme Austin wore the same gown she had worn to her 1920s-themed wedding in 2005; Wendy Weil (her husband Steve’s Rockmount Ranch Wear has been in LoDo since 1946) did Internet research to ensure each element of her flapper ensemble was true to the era; and Aylene McCallum took a more relaxed approach. “I’m a modern flapper,” she said. “I’m not really sure where all the parts are from. But they seem to work.”

John Steinle dressed as Henry Teller, who represented Colorado in the U.S. Senate from 1876 to 1909, and Sven Hillring wore a replica of a World War I uniform. Hillring’s wife, Susan, chose an American Red Cross uniform from 1917.

Nearly everyone at the party had been to Union Station before, but the grandeur of the structure’s interior still brought sighs and long looks. “It’s a wonderful building,” said historical society chief Nicholson. “It transports you back 40 years — to my prime!”

Judi Wagner, who’d been a history major in college, was equally smitten. “Cities just have to hold onto treasures like this,” she said.

Service was provided by the Metropolitan State College hospitality department; the colors were presented by members of the Colorado National Guard, and members of the Wheelmen Bicycle Club added to the atmosphere by riding vintage penny farthing bikes through the station’s great hall.